


City Lights

by RockinT765



Series: Learning Curve [2]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, some Angst??, they're getting to know each other and they're opening up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-26 18:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16686661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockinT765/pseuds/RockinT765
Summary: Levi and Nico go on their first date in the city.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly just an introduction chapter to kinda set the scene, so it's a little short mostly just dialogue, but we'll get into some more fluff and the actual date later!!

“As much as I like making out with you,” Levi said, pulling reluctantly away from his newly-established boyfriend, “A certain someone promised me a date.”

Nico gave a playful smile, placing soft kisses along Levi’s jaw. “Oh, really?”

He knew exactly what he was doing, trailing his hands down Levi’s sides and kissing him just lightly enough that it left him wanting more. If Levi wasn’t so into Nico, he might consider murdering him for being such a tease.

“Alright, one more makeout session,” Levi breathed out, trying to sound assertive even though he was clearly affected by Nico’s every movement. “And then… um…” He was losing track of his words. “Then, we... we-”

“We go on our date?” Nico finished, smiling so innocently that it almost made up for the torture.

Levi nodded a little too quickly. “Yeah. That.”

For a moment, Nico eased up on his cruel attack, before whispering into Levi’s ear, “Yes, sir.”

And then Levi turned to goo, kissing Nico like he was the only thing that could keep him from slipping. The kitchen island was uncomfortable to lean against, and Levi remembered that he hadn’t even finished his breakfast, but getting to kiss Nico made up for whatever drawbacks came along with it. 

So, when they finally had to pull apart, Levi almost regretted that whole leaving Nico’s apartment thing. But, the idea of a real date had its own appeal, and Levi decided that while he’d love to just spend the day having sex and staring at Nico’s chiseled abs, dating was a crucial part of, well, _dating_ someone.

“We should get dressed,” Levi said as soon as he’d recovered from the fireworks, “I don’t think boxers cut it.”

“I think they do,” Nico joked, “They suit you.”

Levi let out a little laugh, and walked towards the bedroom, calling out behind him, “I don’t think Seattle’s ready to handle all _this_.”

“You sure?” Nico continued, following behind him, “You might not know this, but you have a really cute butt.”

Levi laughed again, reaching into his bag for anything that wasn’t scrubs. “My point, exactly.”

He hadn’t packed anything particularly charming, but he found a clean shirt and a pair of pants that hadn’t reached the unwearable stage yet, and he thought that was pretty good, considering. Still, though, Nico would clearly blow him away, since he had a whole closet at his disposal. 

That reminded Levi that he really needed to leave some of his stuff at the apartment. Not that he planned on moving in or anything, but living out of an old duffle bag from middle school wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of luxury. And, stealing Nico’s clothes was a great idea in theory, but his shirts hung on him like a dress, and while he wasn’t opposed to the concept, he figured that it was better to stick to his own wardrobe. At least in public.

As soon as he’d gotten dressed, Levi turned to see Nico still sifting through his array of hangers. Usually, he was ready before Levi was, like he was somehow The Flash of getting dressed. 

“Did you get lost?” Levi asked jokingly, but with a hint of genuine curiosity. 

“Just trying to find something,” Nico answered, not taking his eyes off the closet.

Levi cocked his head, wondering what it could possibly be that Nico was looking for so intensely. But, then it hit him. “Are you trying to pick out what you’re gonna wear?”

Nico stilled for a second, clearing his throat. “No, I’m just-”

“You’re totally getting all dressed up.” Levi cut him off without meaning to, finding the whole thing both hilarious and adorable. “You wanna look nice—I get it. You’re trying to impress me.”

Nico let out a small laugh, turning to look at Levi. “It’s our first real date.”

Levi let his jaw drop slightly, feeling butterflies in his stomach. “I was- I was kidding. You don’t have to dress up for me. I mean, it’s just-”

“I want to,” Nico cut in. “You’re worth it. And, you were right. I wanna impress you.”

Levi smiled, wondering how he got so lucky. “You’re a _really_ good boyfriend.”

“I thought I was a really good teacher,” Nico replied, smiling back.

Levi made his way over to Nico, just close enough that he was a hair away from kissing him. “How about you be both?”

Nico responded by closing the distance, breaking the “no more makeouts before the date” rule because honestly how could he _not_ when Levi was so cute. And, Levi couldn’t even pretend to mind. Plus, kissing was part of dating, and Levi really, _really_ liked learning.

“Why don’t I help you?” Levi asked, as soon as they pulled apart, “With getting dressed. With, uh- with picking out clothes, I mean. Helping with your outfit. Not... dressing you.”

Levi wanted to die right then immediately, but Nico only looked amused, smiling with his confident, sexy face. 

“I think I can get dressed on my own,” Nico joked, “But, I wouldn’t mind some help with finding something to wear.”

Levi only nodded, blushing slightly, and set to work on finding something for his god of a boyfriend. He was like 99% sure that Nico would look good in anything he put on, but he’d offered to help for some reason, so he could at least make up for the last thirty seconds by finding a good first date outfit. 

That was, of course, if Levi even knew what a good first date outfit looked like. Which, if Levi was being honest, he didn’t. But, if Nico’s goal was to impress him, Levi at least knew what his own tastes were. 

So, it wasn’t long before he found a shirt that was definitely gonna look super hot on Nico, and Nico found a pair of black pants that really would’ve worked with anything that Levi picked. With that out of the way, Nico started getting dressed, and Levi let his mind wander to what exactly the date would entail.

Obviously, he already knew the plan, but that didn’t stop him from daydreaming. If there’s one thing a nerd knows how to do, it’s daydream, so Levi was probably the best at daydreaming in the whole entire world. Or, maybe the worst, considering how often it pulled him away from his work and left his sutures sloppy and uneven.

“Ready?” Nico asked, pulling Levi from his thoughts.

“Definitely,” Levi answered, looping arms with Nico. “I’m actually really… nervous? Excited. Mostly nervous. But, excited.”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “Should I be worried?”

Levi shook his head no. “It’s a good thing. If I _wasn’t_ nervous, you might wanna start getting worried.”

“Okay,” Nico laughed, placing a kiss on Levi’s forehead. “I was thinking that we could just walk to a streetcar. Driving into the city would suck.”

“Gotta love Seattle traffic,” Levi said sarcastically, before giving him a soft smile. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Happy to have everything sorted out, he leaned his head on Nico’s shoulder for a moment, and they made their way out the door, a cross between nerves and excitement buzzing through their every step.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter!! I haven't really........ gotten to the date part yet. Next up!!

The streetcar looked somehow familiar to Levi, even though he’d never been in one before. It reminded him a bit of the school buses of his childhood. Kinda like he’d stumbled into a cross between a bus and a subway. But, it was cozier, somehow. 

Instead of the poorly cushioned bench seats he was used to, the seats were all individual, albeit still connected to each other. Luckily, it wasn’t particularly full, so it was easy for him and Nico to sit next to each other. 

Levi liked that closeness. It wasn’t especially sensual or cuddly or anything, but the simple act of sitting next to Nico in public made him feel all bubbly inside. 

Levi’d never been a popular kid by anyone’s definition, and even in his own circles, he was mostly just included because his house had a decent basement that the debate club kids could hang out in. So, it was normal for Levi to sit alone as a kid. When he could, he’d sit at the front of the bus and chit-chat with the driver or the bus monitor, but that was about the extent of his bus socialization.

Now, though, Levi was sitting next to someone who he could only assume was some sort of prom king-valedictorian combination. With his jock body, his cool-guy personality, and his intelligence, Levi wasn’t sure exactly where Nico fit into the cliques, but figured that at the very least he was higher on the popularity scale.

“Hey, Nico?” he said, deciding that he might as well find out for certain.

Nico looked up from his phone, meeting Levi’s gaze. “Mm?”

“I’ve never really sat next to someone before,” Levi paused, realizing that that didn’t make any sense without context, “On a bus. As in, when I was a kid, and I still took the bus because, well, that’s not- the point I was trying to make is that, I didn’t really have many friends growing up. I wasn’t exactly… popular.”

Levi smiled. “I like this: sitting next to someone, next to _you_.” 

Nico smiled back, reaching over to grab Levi’s hand. “Me too.”

Levi squeezed his hand, and took a breath, jumping right the point. “I wanna know more about your childhood. Kindergarten and high school and all that stuff. Were you, I mean, were you the kind of kid who had people lining up to sit with you?”

“That’s… a hard question to answer,” Nico said, the emotion in his voice hard to pinpoint. “I sat with a lot of kids, and I was part of the popular bubble for pretty much all my life. But, they weren’t really sitting with _me_.”

Levi frowned, not understanding what Nico meant. “Who were they sitting with?”

Nico took a moment to think, before starting to answer. “You’re a nerd. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean it in the way that you’re open about yourself. You say what you feel, and you’re honest about what kinds of things you like and what kinds of person you are. You’re not afraid to be a nerd,” he paused. “You didn’t have a shame spiral.”

Nico looked down at their hands, tracing shapes on Levi’s skin. “I just did what I thought people wanted. I played football. I turned in all my work. I dated girls even when I knew I was gay. I did all the right things. But, I never really let myself exist. So, I spiraled. I was ashamed. Not just of being gay, but of being myself. I didn’t know how to do that. To be open like you are. To be a nerd and be okay with that.”

Levi felt like there was a rock in his stomach. He’d just assumed that Nico was the strong one, that Nico was confident about everything he did. He’d been putting Nico on this pedestal, like he’d just become an ortho god overnight and been perfect ever since. Like he’d been an ass in that elevator simply because he was more experienced. 

He’d never even really given any thought to how afraid Nico was, to how worried he must’ve been when he first realized that Levi wasn’t out. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to put in the effort. He couldn’t. He couldn’t go through it again. He’d even said it. He _couldn’t_. And, Levi called him an ass. 

Nico couldn’t’ve known if Levi was just experimenting, if he was just swept up in the romance. He couldn’t go through the shame spiral again, couldn’t go through the coming out, the pain, all over again, just for Levi to realize that he didn’t like guys, or that he was only into Nico because he was the first guy to kiss him.

But, Levi hadn’t considered any of that. He’d been so focused on himself, on how unfair it was. And, he felt sick.

“Nico, I’m sorry,” he whispered, wanting to say more, but not sure how.

“It was a long time ago. Don’t-”

“No, _I’m_ sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t know.” Levi found himself crying again, “I’m sorry for calling you an ass. I’m sorry for not- I was… I was selfish. And, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

“Levi,” Nico said as confidently as he could, “You don’t have to apologize for what you didn’t know. I told you that I would teach you. And, I didn’t. I just assumed that you were gonna spiral, that you were ashamed. We both assumed things. But, that’s okay. That’s part of getting to know each other.”

Nico wrapped his arms around Levi, holding him as he cried. “You’re not selfish. You’re sweet and good and you saved my life, even when you had no reason to forgive me. I _wish_ I was more like you. Levi…” he paused, pulling back just enough that he could see Levi’s face, “You’re incredible.”

He took a moment to read Levi’s expression before kissing him, wanting to show Levi how much he cared about him, to show him that it didn’t matter if they’d been together for days or years, because he was certain about his feelings. And, he was certain about Levi. 

Levi kissed him back with all he had, feeling like that rock didn’t belong anymore. He was learning. Nico was learning. If Nico could forgive him, could think that he was incredible, then he could forgive himself too. He wanted to move forward. He wanted to be with Nico just as much as he did before. 

“Nico,” Levi started, eyes still glassy, “Thank you for sitting with me.”

“Anytime,” Nico smiled, running his fingers through Levi’s hair. “And, thank you. For sitting with _me_.”

Levi smiled back, wiping at his eyes. “Anytime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOPS I promised fluff and ended up with feels!!!! Forgive me for my sins


	3. Chapter 3

The city was packed. Levi found his eyes being drawn everywhere at the same time, from the cars to the buildings to the people and back again. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wandered Seattle’s streets without already being late for some event he couldn’t find. He’d never really had the time to take it in, and if he’d visited as a kid, he couldn’t remember that either.

He looked over at Nico, reaching for his hand. It didn’t feel like a romantic stroll if they weren’t also holding hands. Okay… maybe it did, but hand holding would make it exponentially _more_ romantic.

But, Nico only tucked his own hand slightly behind him, asking quietly, “Are you sure?” 

Levi laughed. “About holding your hand? I’m not _that_ inexperienced.”

“We’re in public,” Nico said, seriously. “The streetcar was a bit more secluded. I just wanna make sure that you’re okay with PDA when we’re out on the street.”

“I _just_ realized I was gay, and I have a hot boyfriend. I’m not gonna let homophobes ruin this for me,” Levi replied, firmly gripping Nico’s hand with his own.

Nico smiled, swinging their arms slightly. “I think I’m the one with the hot boyfriend.”

“Agree to disagree,” Levi joked, adjusting his glasses.

In response, Nico playfully shoved Levi, bumping lightly into his side. “How about we agree that we both have a hot boyfriend?”

“Fine. You win.” Levi relented, pushing Nico back. “But, you have to take me to the comic book store before we go anywhere else because I have no idea where I’m going and I have absolutely no sense of direction.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Nico asked, letting out a little laugh.

“You won’t be laughing when you lose me in a Walmart and have to call my name over the loudspeaker,” Levi teased. “Trust me. It’s as embarrassing for you as it is for me.”

Nico turned his head to look at Levi. “Wait, don’t tell me that’s a true story.” 

“You underestimate my stupidity,” Levi replied with a smirk. “When you meet my mom, she can tell you all about it.”

“ _Wow_.”

“Wanna hear the worst part?” Levi continued, not planning to wait for a response. “I was sixteen.”

Nico’s eyes widened. “ _Dude_. No way.”

“Sixteen entire years old,” Levi repeated. “Ready to break up with me?”

“A little,” Nico joked, placing a small kiss on Levi’s cheek. “But, it’d be a shame to break up with you before we even made it to the comic book store.”

“That’s so kind of you,” Levi joked back. “Are we almost there?”

In response, Nico pointed to the store just across the street. “Define _almost_.”

“I take it back. You’re an ass,” Levi replied with a smile, practically dragging Nico over to the crosswalk.

Yet, as soon as they reached the end of the sidewalk, he stopped, waiting for an opening in the cars. Sure, pedestrians had the right of way, but Levi wasn’t the type to just sprint and hope for the best when it came to crossing the street. Maybe that made him a baby, but he wouldn’t be much use to the hospital if he was a patient, or worse, a body down in the morgue.

“Levi?” Nico asked, looking confused.

“Yeah?”

“This is a crosswalk,” Nico replied, matter-of-factly.

“I _know_ that. I’m not an idiot.” Levi scoffed, looking up at him. “Well, at least, not right now. Other times that’s a little more-” he shook his head, cutting off his tangent midway. “Anyway, a crosswalk doesn’t stop a reckless driver.”

Nico only smirked, looking amused. “Babe.”

“I’m being cautious,” Levi explained, just barely managing to avoid smiling back at the use of a certain pet name. “We’re doctors. This kind of injury is easily prevented.”

“It’s really cute how worried you are, actually, but I meant-” he stopped to look over at the street, “-it’s all clear.”

Levi only blushed slightly in response, saying softly, “Oh.”

Nico laughed, giving Levi a quick kiss on the forehead, and saying with a wink. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

Levi started to protest, but Nico was already pulling his arm, so he settled with letting himself be guided across the street, feeling some sort of mix between being comforted and embarrassed.

“I don’t need to be protected,” Levi finally said, as soon as they’d reached the comic book store. “I’m not-”

“You’re not an idiot. And, you’re not a little kid. I know,” Nico finished, smiling. “But, I’m allowed to wanna protect my boyfriend, aren’t I?” 

Levi sighed, leaning his head on Nico’s arm. “See, that’s unfair. I try to be mad at you and then you’re charming and I’m all warm and fuzzy.”

“Do you wanna be mad at me?” Nico asked playfully, looking down at Levi.

“No,” Levi answered. “I just don’t want you to worry about me. I know what I’m capable of. I’m just cautious because… Well, I don’t really know, actually. I just kinda am. But, I can handle myself.”

“You’re independent, Levi. I get that.” Nico started, looking thoughtful. “Are you okay? Not to push the protection thing-”

“No, it’s okay. Sorry.” Levi cut in, speaking softly. “I guess I’m just thinking about… myself. Us. I don’t know how to let you worry about me. I’m not used to that,” he paused, “Someone caring about me like that.”

Nico let go of Levi’s hand in order to wrap his arm around him in a side hug. “You don’t have to be. It’s not easy even for people who have tons of experience with relationships,” he squeezed Levi a little tighter, “But, I do care about you. And, I want you to know that you deserve that.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Levi said, meeting Nico’s eyes. “Thank you… for a lot of things. You do, too. Deserve care, I mean. I care about you, too. Way more than I probably should, considering this is our first real date.”

Nico put a hand to Levi’s face, caressing his cheek before giving him a tender kiss. It’d been way too long since he’d kissed him last, and regardless of the fact that they were currently blocking the opening of the comic book store, the moment just felt right.

And, Levi felt it too, thankful to have someone so understanding beside him, to have someone like Nico learning alongside him. He felt like he was a breath of fresh air, but not in the cliché way. In the way that he’d been drowning his whole life, and Nico was there to pull him out of the water. It felt, for once, like he was swimming instead of sinking.

He knew that he had issues to overcome, and that this wouldn’t be the last time Levi got caught up in his head, or felt so strongly that it overwhelmed and confused him. But, it was comforting knowing that he wouldn’t drown, that Nico was there to cheer him on. In a way, he realized, maybe he did need someone. Not someone to swim for him, or to teach him how, but someone to support him, to guide him when he got tired.

Levi silently thanked Nico for being there for him, for caring about him, for worrying about him. It was new and hard to accept in a lot of ways, but still, he was thankful. He wanted to keep learning, to keep swimming.

And, eventually, they pulled apart, Nico giving Levi a soft smile. “We should probably go inside.”

“Yeah,” Levi replied, smiling back at him. “That sounds like a good idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SWEAR THAT WE'LL GET TO THE ACTUAL CONTENTS OF THEIR DATE NEXT CHAPTER!! I'M A SLUT FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is http://rockint765.tumblr.com so feel free to check it out or send me Schmico asks/prompts or smth!! I post some ideas and short fics and stuff there!!


End file.
